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Trigeminal neuralgia and atypical facial pain: current concepts on etiopathogenesis and diagnosis

  • Chapter
Regional Anaesthesia Analgesia and Pain Management

Part of the book series: Topics in Anaesthesia and Critical Care ((TIACC))

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Abstract

Facial pain can be related to a dysfunction of the nervous system or to diseases affecting the various anatomical structures of the face. Physicians tend sometimes to see only those aspects of the patient’s problem that fit their notions of pathogenesis or therapeutic repertoire. Understanding and treating facial pain requires concepts derived from neuroscience, physiology, anatomy, oral and maxillo-facial surgery, general dentistry, neurosurgery, neurology, internal medicine, clinical psychology, psychiatry, otorhinolaryngology, orthopaedic surgery, physiatry and anaesthesiology. Thus, a multidisciplinary approach to this problem is strongly warranted for a correct diagnosis. If the medical literature in the past two decades has demonstrated major improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of typical facial pain or “tic douloureux”, atypical facial pain remains a waste-basket diagnosis that contains several distinct pain syndromes with no widely accepted etiology, categorization and treatment. In these chapter we attempt to clarify current concepts of etiopathogenesis and diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and atypical facial pain.

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Authors
  1. G. Broggi
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  2. I. Dones
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  3. P. Ferroli
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  4. D. Servello
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    M. Tiengo MD (Professor Emeritus) (Professor Emeritus)

  2. Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Therapy, University of Trieste, Cattinara Hospital, Trieste, Italy

    V. A. Paladini MD

  3. Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Orebro University Hospital, Orebro, Sweden

    N. Rawal MD

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© 1999 Springer Verlag Italia, Milano

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Broggi, G., Dones, I., Ferroli, P., Servello, D. (1999). Trigeminal neuralgia and atypical facial pain: current concepts on etiopathogenesis and diagnosis. In: Tiengo, M., Paladini, V.A., Rawal, N. (eds) Regional Anaesthesia Analgesia and Pain Management. Topics in Anaesthesia and Critical Care. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2240-9_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2240-9_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-0044-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-2240-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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